Fight for The Thirsty Perch

In 2017, Steve Steeber and Sherri Miller grabbed for the brass ring and made a dream come true…they opened The Thirsty Perch in beautiful downtown Iola, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Iola. Local residents and long-time supporters of the Iola-Scandinavia community and surrounding areas, they wanted to give the community a fun and friendly place to go with family and friends, and provide top-quality food and drinks at prices folks could afford. The rest, as they say, is history. The Thirsty Perch is a staple in the community, drawing customers from all over to enjoy the atmosphere and the excellent food. Their Friday Fish Fry is one of the most popular in the area.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Steve and Sherri saw an opportunity to bring even more to the community and purchased the auto garage that shared the driveway with The Thirsty Perch. The plan was to provide a venue for everyone to come and enjoy live outdoor music by converting the garage into an awesome outdoor bar with plenty of seating and even bathrooms. The end result is a beautiful outdoor space that over the years has drawn many visitors to Iola for a variety of music, events, and performers.

The first live music performance was on Memorial Day weekend in 2021 when Spicy Tie Band took the stage and rocked the crowd to everyone’s delight. Since that first show, The Perch has hosted almost 200 bands, and the audience and popularity of the venue grow with each performance.

The Thirsty Perch typically employs 25 full and part-time staff members, and in the summer that number increases to 35. These are local community members, many of whom are in high school or college, and the money they earn at The Thirsty Perch, both salary and their tips, helps pay their way through school. People who need a second job are able to work at The Thirsty Perch in the evenings and on the weekends to help support their families. People who are retired and are looking for a little extra income or just want to get out of the house are also able to help fill those odd shifts. No matter how you look at it, The Thirsty Perch brings significant revenue into our village, both from customers at the establishment and those who visit other local businesses as a result of coming to The Perch.

On June 10, 2025, with no warning whatsoever, The Village Board voted to not renew the liquor license for The Thirsty Perch. Despite being a respected and popular restaurant, losing the liquor license will essentially put The Perch out of business. The foundation for this decision was an open court case Steve was working through and in no way impeded his ability to participate in or own a bar and restaurant. Since this injustice, Steve prevailed in court and the charges were either dropped or reduced, making this situation even more tragic and unfair.

Steve and Sherri vowed to fight this shocking injustice and have hired attorneys and are working through the appeal process, now at the state level. They are fighting for their dream, they are fighting for their livelihood and they are fighting to continue to be a strong supporter ofand contributor to our community. The impact of this on both their business income and personal savings is shocking and the reason for this fundraiser.

Lost business revenues: $80,000

Personal funds spent on attorney fees: $37,000

The Thirsty Perch and Steve and Sherri need support from the community to which they have dedicated the last 7 years of their lives. Their personal savings are depleted, and this battle is not over. We are appealing to everyone who, whether a customer of The Thirsty Perch, a friend of Steve and Sherri, a former employee, or just someone who is troubled by the wrong that has been done to these people… we need your help. Any amount that you can donate will be applied directly towards the legal costs incurred by The Thirsty Perch as they fight to regain their liquor license and become the wonderfully popular, vibrant business that we have all come to know and love. Please donate any amount that you can and know that no amount is too small and every little bit helps.

We thank you for your support!